IUCN SSC Snake and Lizard Red List Authority

2016-2017 Report

Philip Bowles

Chair Mission statement Acknowledgements Philip Bowles The mission of the IUCN SSC Snake and Lizard We thank Environment Abu Dhabi, which has Red List Authority is to undertake and support supported the staff costs for the RLA Coordina- Red List Authority IUCN Red List assessments for groups tor’s role, and the following donors that have Philip Bowles not covered by other Specialist Groups, supported workshops in this quadrennium: including most snakes and lizards and the New Toyota Foundation, Mohamed bin Zayed Location/Affiliation Zealand tuatara, and to curate IUCN’s global Species Conservation Fund, and Trust for IUCN Biodiversity Assessment Unit c/o for these groups. Mutual Understanding. We also want to thank Conservation International, Washington DC, US the IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Unit, which Main activities by Key Priority Area leads the ongoing Global Reptile Assessment, Number of members (2016 & 2017) and their host organisation Conservation International, as well as our long-term collabo- 43 Barometer of life rator NatureServe for past and ongoing L Red List assistance with reptile assessments for the i. Red List assessments were reviewed for all New World. 197 snakes and lizard species found in Central

Asia. Sixty five species endemic to this region Targets for the quadrennium 2017-2020 (most others being non endemics) were Barometer of life subsequently submitted and published in 2017. (KSR #1) Red List: (1) support the completion of the Global Reptile Assessment (ca. 10,400 ii. In total, assessments for 999 species of snakes and lizards were submitted by the end squamate species) through cleanup, review and of 2016, followed by 59 species from Cuba submission; (2) identify new assessments following the completion of a remote assess- needed and prepare reassessments for ment of this island’s snakes and lizards in 2017. outdated assessments. (KSR #1) Increasing diversity of SSC iii. Assessments finalised and submitted for all Membership: expand the network of Snake and 46 Japanese endemic snakes and lizards Lizard Red List Authority members and regional (excluding vipers, handled in discussion with that coordinators to support management of reptile Specialist Group) by the start of 2017. (KSR #1) assessments following the end of the Global iv. Assessments finalised and submitted for Reptile Assessment. 913 species of Australian snakes and lizards following assessment in early to mid 2017. Four hundred and fifty eight of these were published by the end of the year, the remainder will be in the first update of 2018. (KSR #1) Reviews completed by the end of 2017 for 550 species of Southeast Asian lizards. Finalisation of outstanding issues and submission are planned for March 2018. (KSR #1) Malagasy Ground Boa (Acrantophis madagascariensis), Least Concern, Akanin’ny nofy (‘The Palmarium’), eastern Madagascar, 2017 Photo: Philip Bowles

Anolis proboscis, Endangered, Mindo, Ecuador, 2014 Photo: Philip Bowles

Anolis aequatorialis, Mindo, Ecuador, 2014 Photo: Philip Bowles

Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii), Near Threatened, Andasibe, Madagascar, 2017 Photo: Philip Bowles

Projected impact for the quadrennium Summary of activities (2016-2017)

2017-2020 Key Priority Area ratio: 1/7 By the end of 2020, the Global Reptile Assess- Key Priority Areas addressed: ment will have been both completed - insofar as • Barometer of life (5 activities) every described species of reptile will have Main KSRs addressed: 1 been assessed on the IUCN Red List at least KSR: Key Species Result once - and, with continued financial support, updated to ensure that no assessment is more than 10 years old. The Snake and Lizard Red List Authority, which has responsibility for the majority of reptile species, will be expanded and more formally structured around a series of Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis), Least Concern, regional Red List Coordinators, a process which Alexandria, Virginia, US, 2018 Photo: Philip Bowles is already underway. For the first time, it will be possible to evaluate the of globally and identify priority targets for reptile conservation at a global scale.